You have probably heard of the legends of King Arthur of the Round Table. What you may not know, however, is that this character is who gave popularity to the name Arthur, especially in the European and Welsh tradition. There was a general of the Britons, however, whose name was Arthur and who may have been the reason behind the legend of King Arthur.
Meaning of the Name Arthur:
Celtic: bear, Thor the eagle
Welsh: bear, bear hero
Origin of the Name Arthur:
Some say that prior to King Arthur being created, the name Arthur was a shortened version of an Irish surname which was McArthur. This last name probably came from Celtic terminology for the word bear. King Arthur may have even received his name from the popularity of this surname.
Symbolism of the Name Arthur:
Prior to the legend of King Arthur and the Round Table, it is unknown where exactly this baby name originated from. The name of this legendary character appeared in Welsh stories and poems during the seventh century, and it was said that the general he is based off of ,fought during the sixth century against the Saxons. The popularity of the name Arthur which came from these legends did not occur until the 19th century in particular, however, and it is starting to rise in usage again.
Style of the Name Arthur:
The name Arthur is traditional in its style.
Gender of the Name Arthur:
The gender of the baby name Arthur is male.
Pronunciation of Arthur:
AHR-ther
Number of syllables in Arthur:
There are two syllables in the baby name Arthur.
Emotion evoked from the Name Arthur:
Arthur sounds very mature and a bit old-fashioned and vintage. It can be a bit quirky and intelligent in the way that it is portrayed as well.
Alternative spellings of Arthur:
- Artur
- Auther
- Arther
Nicknames for the Name Arthur:
Popularity of the Name Arthur:
The name Arthur was at its peak in popularity from the years 1900 to 1969 as it remained on the top 100 list for almost 70 years. It was actually on the top 20 list, however, until the year 1926, but it reached number 14 in the year 1901. The name began to ascend into the top 200 list until 1991 when it declined quickly in popularity. In the year 2019, however, the baby name Arthur started to climb again and is now number 162.
Related Nams for the Name Arthur:
Great middle names for Arthur and their meaning:
- Bruce (from the brushwood thicket)
- Stanley (stony meadow)
- Alexander (defender of men)
- Werner (the defending warrior)
- Edward (guardian, protector)
- Henry (house ruler)
Famous people with the Name Arthur:
- Arthur Miller (playwright, husband of Marilyn Monroe)
- Arthur Conan Doyle (writer)
- Arthur Ashe (legendary American tennis player)
- Arthur Mariano (gymnast)
- Arthur Elgort (celebrity photographer)
- Arthur Clarke (novelist and author)
The Name Arthur in movies/pop culture:
- Arthur (main character in Arthur)
- King Arthur (Sword in the Stone, Knights of the Round Table)
- Arthur Morgan (character in video game Red Dead Redemption 2)
- Arthur Weasley (character in Harry Potter)
- Arthur Curry (Aquaman, D.C. comics character)
- Arthur Shelby (character from “Peaky Blinders”)